Page 95 - STRATEGY Magazine (G)

HE TOURISM INDUSTRY CREATED 183,000 IRECT JOBS IN 2014, A NUMBER THAT WAS XPECTED TO REACH 187,000 IN 2015.
HE TOURISM INDUSTRY IS GROWING AT 5%, WHILE OTHER INDUSTRIES ARE GROW- ING AT 3.6%.
BY 2025, THE TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY SECTOR WILL CONTRIBUTE A TOTAL OF 8.8% TO THE GDP, DIRECTLY AND INDIRECTLY.
THE INDUSTRY WILL LIKELY SUPPORT NEAR- LY 700,000 JOBS OVER THE NEXT DECADE.
of ancient and modern Maya practices is alive and well here. This element of Guatemalan tourism is attractive to those seeking a distinctive experience. Guatemalan officials want to capitalize on marketing the country as a cultural tourism destination.
FINDING THE FUTURE
As the country plans for a new international airport in the southern part alongside Florida-style theme parks, Duchez hopes that Guatemala will become the Orlando of Central America. This will allow residents of neighboring coun- tries to experience theme parks without the hassle of hav- ing to travel to the United States. INGUAT has brought developers who worked in Orlando to Guatemala to act as consultants. Those in the tourism industry are currently seeking foreign and domestic funding to continue this project. So far, the theme parks and related development have been underwritten by a combination of government and private sector investment.
Duchez foresees that the hospitality industry will contin- ue to target potential tourists in North and South Amer- ica, particularly in the United States, Canada, northern Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Brazil, and Chile. He does not want Guatemala to become a party destination, but instead, a destination for those with niche interests and hobbies. With cooperation from foreign investors, he antic- ipates great opportunity.
T D E
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SAN PEDRO VOLCANO (VOLCÁN SAN PEDRO) ACROSS LAKE ATITLÁN (LAGO DE ATITLÁN) IN THE GUATEMALAN HIGHLANDS.
SPECIAL REPORT
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